Message from Harris Wofford:
Last night, the House of Representatives accepted an amendment to the
VA-HUD Appropriation bill, by voice vote, that cut fiscal year 1998
funding for AmeriCorps and Learn & Serve grant programs, and the Points
of Light Foundation, to one-half the level of the current fiscal year.
The bill had originally provided $402.5 million for AmeriCorps and Learn
& Serve grant programs and the Points of Light Foundation -- the same
figure as fiscal year 1997.
Although this amendment represents a funding cut, it should be noted that
this is the first time the House has endorsed any funding for AmeriCorps
and Learn & Serve since 1994.
The subcommittee chairman, Rep. Jerry Lewis (CA), in accepting the
amendment, flatly stated that national service will be fully funded in
the final conference report despite the amendment. The Bipartisan Budget
Agreement was achieved without cutting national service, and the
President remains steadfastly opposed to any funding cuts. Congressional
leaders know that the President will not approve any bill that eliminates
or cuts national service.
As I previously reported, the Senate VA-HUD Appropriations subcommittee
yesterday proposed funding AmeriCorps and Learn & Serve grant programs at
$403.5 million. The House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee yesterday
proposed level funding for AmeriCorps*VISTA, and sizeable increases in
funding for the National Senior Service Corps programs. The Senate
Labor/HHS subcommittee is scheduled to mark up its bill July 22, 1997.
The bills then go to full Appropriations Committees and to the floor.
Finally, differences between the two bills must be resolved in a
conference.
I remind you that Fiscal Year 1998 funding being considered this summer
is for AmeriCorps and Learn & Serve grant programs beginning in the fall
of 1998. Grant programs beginning this autumn are already fully funded,
and the grant approval process is underway. Fiscal year 1998 funding
proposals for AmeriCorps*VISTA and the Senior Corps funds these programs
beginning on October 1st, 1997.
We've been through this before. While I had hoped that the strong
bipartisan support national service enjoys might prevent a replay of this
process, we all know how it will play out. With your leadership, we look
to forward to another year of meeting the challenges that face our
communities and our country.